THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thank you all, very much. Thanks for
the warm welcome. It's been a heck of a trip out here to California.
(Laughter.) I'm honored to be here with the good folks at United
Defense. I'm here to thank you for your contribution to making the
world a more peaceful and free place.

Yesterday, I had the honor of speaking to the American people from
the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. (Applause.) I made this
declaration, that major combat operations in Iraq have ended, that the
United States and our allies have prevailed. (Applause.)

I spent the night -- one night. (Laughter.) Most of the crew had
been on there for nine and a half months. I was so proud to be with
those men and women who wear our nation's uniform. Their morale is
high; they have served our nation well; and this country is proud of
them. (Applause.)

We are proud of everybody who wears the nation's uniform, and we
are proud of those who have contributed to the defense of the country,
just like the people right here at United Defense have done.
(Applause.) The technologies and products developed here at United
Defense have made our military second to none. (Applause.) So I'm here
to thank the folks who work for this fine company, on behalf of the
American people, for your contribution to the security of your nation
and for the peace of the world. (Applause.)

We've spent a lot of time in this country over the recent talking
about the great military might of America. The truth of the matter is,
the greatest strength of our country is the compassion of our fellow
citizens to one another. The great strength of America can be found in
the hearts of our fellow citizens.

My call to you is to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be
loved yourself. If you're worried and interested about the future of
this country, find somebody who hurts. Find somebody who needs love.
Put your arm around them and say, the great American experience belongs
to you just as much as it belongs to me. Steve, thank you for your
leadership. (Applause.)

On September the 11th, 2001, America learned that vast oceans no
longer protect us from the threats of the new era. On that day, 19
months ago, we also began a relentless worldwide campaign against
terrorists, those who hate freedom, in order to secure our homeland and
to make the world a more peaceful place.

And we're making great progress. In the battle of Afghanistan, we
destroyed one of the most barbaric regimes in the history of mankind. A
regime so barbaric, they would not allow young girls to go to school. A
regime so barbaric, they were willing to house al Qaeda. That regime no
longer exists. Many al Qaeda leaders no longer exist. And the training
camps no longer exist. (Applause.)

In the war on terror, we're making good progress. As I said last
night, nearly one-half of all al Qaeda's senior operatives are no
longer a threat to the United States of America. (Applause.) And we're
still on the hunt. (Applause.) We will flush them out of their caves,
we'll get them on the run, and we will bring them to justice.
(Applause.)

As a result of the bravery and skill of our Armed Forces and
coalition forces, the war on terror is much longer down the road
because of what happened in Iraq. You see, the al Qaeda no longer have
a ally in the regime in Iraq. Terrorists no longer have a funding
source in the regime of Iraq. One thing is for certain: Terrorists
will no longer have a source of weapons of mass destruction in the
regime that used to be in Iraq, because the regime that used to be in
Iraq is no longer. (Applause.)

We have an obligation to future generations of Americans to make
sure this country is secure. And we will keep that obligation. We have
made progress, but there is more to do. In all these efforts, our men
and women in uniform have performed brilliantly. (Applause.) By their
courage, our nation is more secure. By their skill and sacrifice, Iraq
and Afghanistan are now free. (Applause.)

The people who serve our country deserve our gratitude, and they
deserve the finest equipment we can provide. (Applause.) The new
technologies of war help to protect our soldiers, and as importantly,
help protect innocent life. You see, new technologies allow us to
redefine war on our terms, which makes it more likely the world will be
more free and more peaceful. (Applause.)

You do a lot to keep the American Armed Forces on the leading edge
of technological change here at United Defense. And I want to thank you
for that. You not only help save lives, but you're an agent for peace.
And that's important for you to know that. The better we can redefine
how war is -- wars are fought and won, the more likely it is that peace
will prevail -- because this is a peaceful nation. This is a nation
that wants nothing more than the world to be more free and more
peaceful. I want to thank you for what you've done, what you're going
to do, and I want to thank you for the product you put out in the
field.

In the Iraqi theater, the M4 command and control vehicles that you
help produce gave our commanders unprecedented control over the
battlefields. The Bradley Fighting Vehicles were responsible for a lot
of tank kills. Some of the first Army units sent to take control of
the Baghdad Airport were traveling in Bradleys. (Applause.)

The world witnessed one of the swiftest advances of heavy arms in
the history of warfare -- a 350-mile charge from south to north in
Iraq, through hostile enemy territory. We were able to do so not only
because of the good strategy, great courage and skill, but because of
the Bradleys and Abramses with which our soldiers were equipped. You're
making a good product here.

One of the things that people learned about your company, as well,
is how useful the HERCULES tank recovery system can be. (Applause.) The
guy with the sledgehammer on the statue needed a little help.
(Laughter.) Thankfully, there was a HERCULES close by. (Laughter.) A
HERCULES which pulled that statue of Saddam Hussein to the ground.

That meant more to the Iraqi people than you can possibly imagine.
It was a symbol of their future. A future based upon something that we
hold dear to our hearts; a future based upon something that is not
America's gift to the world, but the Almighty God's give to each and
every individual -- a future based upon freedom. (Applause.)

I also appreciate so very much that 35 of your fellow workers are
in theater. Some were in Kuwait; many are in Iraq, working on the
products that you helped develop -- working through those sandstorms
and those long hauls across hostile territory. They're still in the
region. They and their families need to know America is grateful for
their service and their sacrifices. (Applause.)

Just as we are grateful for the service and sacrifice of many of
the families whose loved ones have been, and still are in theater.
Perhaps some of you have got a relative over there, kind of like Ron
Pinkney, who is an engineer here at United Defense. His son, Jason, is
serving in the 101st Airborne Division. Ron, I appreciate your
sacrifice for your country by being a loving dad. But you tell Jason,
and you tell Jason to tell his buddies, the Commander-in-Chief and the
people of Santa Clara, California are really proud of his service.
(Applause.)

Major combat operations are over. Yet we have got commitments to
keep in Iraq. Parts of that country are still dangerous, and we will
provide security, we will establish order in the parts of Iraq that are
dangerous. We will chase down the leaders of the old regime -- and
they will be held account for the atrocious crimes they committed on
the Iraqi people. (Applause.)

We've got hundreds of sites to exploit, looking for the chemical
and biological weapons that we know Saddam Hussein had prior to our
entrance into Iraq. Listen, this guy has spent years and years and
years of hiding weapons from weapons inspectors. It's going to take
time, but the world will see the truth.

We'll restore the hospitals, rebuild the schools, provide needed
infrastructure in a country that didn't have as many hospitals as it
needed, or schools as it needed, or needed infrastructure as was
required, because Saddam Hussein was willing to spend money on
luxurious palaces, not on the people of Iraq. (Applause.) We will stand
with the new leaders of Iraq as they build a government of, by, and for
the Iraqi people. (Applause.)

This is going to take time. The efforts to restore security and
infrastructure is going to take time, and it's not going to be easy
work. But we will stay the course. We will stay as long as necessary
to get the job done, and then we will leave. And when we leave, we will
leave behind a free Iraq. (Applause.)

We believe in the peace, in keeping the peace. And the best way to
make the world more peaceful, and the best way to fight hatred, the
hateful ideologies oftentimes found in corners of the world, is to
promote freedom. Free people are less likely to hate. Free people are
more likely to focus on a hopeful future. We love freedom in America.
It's ingrained in our soul. We also understand the habits of freedom
are more likely to make the world a more peaceful and hopeful place. We
will stay in Iraq until it is free. (Applause.) And we will stay to
make sure the foundations for freedom are real and solid.